Composed by Marco Werba (Pre-release CD)

For genre fans who are tired of seeing the same derivative torture porn, wet Asian ghosts, or zombie splatter fest; or, for the new generation of fan who don't know that Quentin didn't actually invent blood soaked cinema, I have good news. The Maestro himself - Dario Argento has returned to to his roots with the release of 2009's GIALLO. The Italian word "Giallo" means yellow, and is synonymous with the mystery/murder novels of the 1960's, which all featured covers printed in bright yellow so as to stand out on a crowded book shelf. The film tells of a detective (Adrien Brody ) hired to find his client's (Emmanuelle Seigner ) missing sister who has been abducted by a serial killer calling himself Yellow. The press surrounding the project claims it is a return to the grand visuals and surreal plot twists that Argent is known for.

Due to the rather copious amount of complications that plagued the production; funding problems, re-casting, a complete stop during pre-production, composer Marco Werba found himself with just 3 weeks in which to write, and record the score with the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra.. To this task he rose admirably, and has delivered what I would consider to be one of the most "commercial" scores ever to grace an Argento film.

Some of Argento's most successful past efforts are strongly associated with the dense, surreal prog rock of Goblin and of keyboardist Keith Emerson (of Emerson Lake & Palmer fame). While those scores are certainly classics, it is to Werba's credit that he doesn't try to copy that formula here.
That is not to say this is the most original score ever conceived. There are blatant homages to Elfman, Horner, Howard, and especially Bernard Herman running throughout these 37 + cues. That these nods to other musicians don't totally overwhelm this score's identity is a testament to Marco Werba's skills both as composer and as an arranger.

Here are few of my observations on some of the standout cues.

"The Main Titles" has a John Williams feel to it, with a beautifully ominous chord procession and some nice interplay between strings and horns. There is also a lighter touch at work here, tapping out a counter melody that is quite subtle. This is a arrangement device that Werba will return to often throughout the course of this score, with great effect.

A great deal of the tense mood that the music tries to amp up is reliant on the strings buzzing away in a frenzy. The effect is an often discordant undercurrent that really keeps the listener on their toes.
Think Bernard Herman on steroids and you're in the ballpark here.

"The Main Titles 2" is a more fully realized version with some nice string flourishes at the end.

"Taxi Killer" feels like Joseph LoDuca's work on ARMY OF DARKNESS, with it's sly melancholia peeking thru other percussive elements.

"Killer Theme" pays homage to Bernard Herman in the dramatic use of string stabs, and I hear strains of the fanfare to "Night On Bald Mountain " in this as well.

For my personal tastes, I do find the "Love Theme" a bit too dated sounding. Though quite functional, I'm a bit surprised that Werba chose to go with something this standard sounding. While there certainly is an elegance to it; it comes off sounding like it could have been at home in LOVE STORY, which I suppose is the point. I think that the precise adherence to the time signature has something to do with my unease with this piece as well. The meter is just too regimented for my taste. There are truly beautiful moments here, and in some of the film's other quieter moments, but I can almost feel the metronome clicking away in the background. Precise, but the feel is lacking.

"Trapped In The Taxi"is VERY reminiscent of Elfman's first BATMAN score, with lots of low end, and strings chugging along to increase the sense of tension. The dynamics are really moving on this one, and the piece is quite exhilarating .

"Kidnapping" features blasts of horns and piano in unison, with a constant undercurrent of doom being played by the cellos. Very dark.

I believe that in a lesser (ie: less hyper-stylized) film, these cues would fall flat under the weight of their own grandiose nature. There are few directors who can provide such a lush visual canvas as Dario Argento, and this is something Werba has used to his advantage by incorporating over-the-top orchestrations that serve to bring the music up to a similar level of flamboyance. This could all come off as heavy handed, but this score tips it's hat to the past; to a more elegant time in film music, and I for one couldn't be happier to hear a return to melody and motif in a horror score.

MARS

3.5 out of 5